River channel and bar patterns explained and predicted by an empirical and a physics‐based method

Our objective is to understand general causes of different river channel patterns. In this paper we compare an empirical stream power‐based classification and a physics‐based bar pattern predictor. We present a careful selection of data from the literature that contains rivers with discharge and median bed particle size ranging over several orders of magnitude with various channel patterns and bar types, but no obvious eroding or aggrading tendency. Empirically a continuum is found for increasing specific stream power, here calculated with pattern‐independent variables: mean annual flood, valley gradient and channel width predicted with a hydraulic geometry relation. ‘Thresholds’, above which certain patterns emerge, were identified as a function of bed sediment size. Bar theory predicts nature and presence of bars and bar mode, here converted to active braiding index (B_i). The most important variables are actual width–depth ratio and nonlinearity of bed sediment transport. Results agree reasonably well with data. Empirical predictions are somewhat better than bar theory predictions, because the bank strength is indirectly included in the empirical prediction. In combination, empirical and theoretical prediction provide partial explanations for bar and channel patterns. Increasing potential‐specific stream power implies more energy to erode banks and indeed correlates to channels with high width–depth ratio. Bar theory predicts that such rivers develop more bars across the width (higher B_i). At the transition from meandering to braiding, weakly braided rivers and meandering rivers with chutes are found. Rivers with extremely low stream power and width–depth ratios hardly develop bars or dynamic meandering and may be straight or sinuous or, in case of disequilibrium sediment feed, anastomosing. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution and sedimentology of a channel fill in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River and its comparison to the deposits of an adjacent compound bar

The depositional stratigraphy of within‐channel deposits in sandy braided rivers is dominated by a variety of barforms (both singular ‘unit’ bars and complex ‘compound’ bars), as well as the infill of individual channels (herein termed ‘channel fills’). The deposits of bars and channel fills define the key components of facies models for braided rivers and their within‐channel heterogeneity, knowledge of which is important for reservoir characterization. However, few studies have sought to address the question of whether the deposits of bars and channel fills can be readily differentiated from each other. This paper presents the first quantitative study to achieve this aim, using aerial images of an evolving modern sandy braided river and geophysical imaging of its subsurface deposits. Aerial photographs taken between 2000 and 2004 document the abandonment and fill of a 1·3 km long, 80 m wide anabranch channel in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada. Upstream river regulation traps the majority of very fine sediment and there is little clay (< 1%) in the bed sediments. Channel abandonment was initiated by a series of unit bars that stalled and progressively blocked the anabranch entrance, together with dune deposition and stacking at the anabranch entrance and exit. Complete channel abandonment and subsequent fill of up to 3 m of sediment took approximately two years. Thirteen kilometres of ground‐penetrating radar surveys, coupled with 18 cores, were obtained over the channel fill and an adjacent 750 m long, 400 m wide, compound bar, enabling a quantitative analysis of the channel and bar deposits. Results show that, in terms of grain‐size trends, facies proportions and scale of deposits, there are only subtle differences between the channel fill and bar deposits which, therefore, renders them indistinguishable. Thus, it may be inappropriate to assign different geometric and sedimentological attributes to channel fill and bar facies in object‐based models of sandy braided river alluvial architecture.     

流滑型崩岸河岸侧蚀模式初探

流滑型崩岸是冲积河流河岸常见的一种崩塌形式,其发展速度快、破坏力强;该类崩岸主要取决于水流的直接冲刷,河岸崩退过程中水面与岸顶高差较小.依据此类崩岸的特征,基于水流冲刷分析,在基础层面上初步探讨并建立了流滑型崩岸的河岸侧蚀模式.结合水槽试验与土工离心模拟试验,对该模式进行了分析研究,初步率定了模式中的河岸侧蚀系数,计算...     

大气环流模式（GCMs）在东南诸河流域的适用性评价

采用秩评分方法,选取NCEP再分析资料作为“实测”依据,以10个统计特征值为基础,评估了21个GCMs对东南诸河流域17个气候要素的模拟效果．结果显示：气候变量表现出不同的统计特征,GCMs对不同气候变量的模拟效果并不一致．与地面气象站点实测值对比,CSIRO：MK30、GFDL：CM21、GFDL：CM20、INM：CM30对降水和地面气温的模拟效果相对较好;流域高空气候要素的模拟效果更佳的模式有CGCM2．3．2、GISS：EH、BCCR：BCM20、GFDL：CM20对;综合所有气候变量,BCCR：BCM20、GFDL：CM20、CGCM2．3．2、GISS：EH的表现更优．优选出的GCMs可以为东南诸河流域气候变化的进一步研究提供科学依据．     

大气环流模式（GCMs）在东南诸河流域的适用性评价

采用秩评分方法,选取NCEP再分析资料作为“实测”依据,以10个统计特征值为基础,评估了21个GCMs对东南诸河流域17个气候要素的模拟效果．结果显示：气候变量表现出不同的统计特征,GCMs对不同气候变量的模拟效果并不一致．与地面气象站点实测值对比,CSIRO：MK30、GFDL：CM21、GFDL：CM20、INM：...     

蓬莱19—3地区新近系物源分析及应用

鉴于蓬莱19—3地区物源存在一定的分歧,通过对蓬莱19—3地区新近系砂岩碎屑轻矿物、重矿物、粒度分析、砂岩展布特征、地震资料及动态资料的分析认为该地区物源主要来自于东边。结合物源及藻类分析认为蓬莱19—3以西存在一定的水体,明下段表现出浅水三角洲窄河道绫罗分布的特征,而馆陶组以辫状三角洲平原为主。建议在油田地质油藏研究过程中考虑物源及沉积相,完善产液结构,从而改善油田开发效果。     

An empirical model of subcritical bedform migration

The ability to predict bedform migration in rivers is critical for estimating bed material load, yet there is no relation for predicting bedform migration (downstream translation) that covers the full range of conditions under which subcritical bedforms develop. Here, the relation between bedform migration rates and transport stage is explored using a field and several flume data sets. Transport stage is defined as the non‐dimensional Shields stress divided by its value at the threshold for sediment entrainment. Statistically significant positive correlations between both ripple and dune migration rates and transport stage are found. Stratification of the data by the flow depth to grain‐size ratio improved the amount of variability in migration rates that was explained by transport stage to ca 70%. As transport stage increases for a given depth to grain‐size ratio, migration rates increase. For a given transport stage, the migration rate increases as the flow depth to grain‐size ratio gets smaller. In coarser sediment, bedforms move faster than in finer sediment at the same transport stage. Normalization of dune migration rates by the settling velocity of bed sediment partially collapses the data. Given the large amount of variability that arises from combining data sets from different sources, using different equipment, the partial collapse is remarkable and warrants further testing in the laboratory and field.     

An empirical model of event scale cohesive bank profile evolution

The highly stochastic nature of riverbank erosion has driven the need for spatially explicit empirical models. Detailed bank profile surveys along a meander bend of the Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, USA, before and after 28 high flow events over a 2·5 year period are used to develop an empirical model of cohesive bank profile erosion. Two hundred and thirty‐six bank erosion observations are classified as hydraulic erosion or subaerial erosion. Threshold conditions required to initiate bank erosion cannot be defined based on field measurements. Using the near‐bank velocity and the number of freeze–thaw cycles as predictors, regression equations are derived for hydraulic erosion that specify the length, thickness, and location on the bank face of eroded blocks. An empirical discriminant function defines the critical geometry of overhang failures, and the volumes removed by overhang failures are computed using another regression equation. All the regression equations are significant, but have low correlation coefficients, suggesting that cohesive bank erosion has a strong stochastic component. Individual events typically remove small masses of soil (average volume 0·084 m³/m) a few centimeters thick (median = 0·057 m) and a few decimeters in length (median = 0·50 m) from the lower third of the bank. Hydraulic erosion is responsible for 87% of all erosion. When applied to three survey sites not used in its development, the profile model predicts the total volume of erosion with errors of 23%, 5% and 1%. Twenty‐four percent of computed erosion volumes for single events are within 50% of observed volumes at these three sites. Extending the approach to decadal timescales and to entire bends will require three‐dimensional observations of bank failure, and spatially and temporally explicit methods to account for the influence of individual large trees on bank failures and near‐bank hydraulic processes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term plankton studies at the lower Rhine/Germany

The river Rhine has lain under considerable anthropogenic stress of its water quality for 100 years. As early as 1905 the first results of studies of the plankton in the Rhine were published. Due to the long residence time of the water a real potamoplankton can develop and at the end of the Lower Rhine it reaches its highest density. The paper consists of two parts. At first an overview is given about the history of plankton studies in the Rhine. The second part is the presentation of results from a monitoring at the Lower Rhine from 1979 to 2004.First systematic studies started at the beginning of the 20th century at the beginning of pollution. Our studies started during a phase of recreation from extreme pollution and eutrophication. Samples were taken at four stations: Bad Honnef, km 640, entrance to North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, km 732, Duisburg, km 792 downstream large industrial effluents and big cities, Kleve-Bimmen, km 865 at the border to the Netherlands.In the 1970s nutrients were high, especially phosphate 0.65 mg PO₄-P L⁻¹ in 1979. After 1980 phosphate dropped to 0.11 mg PO₄-P L⁻¹ in 2004 (mean values of the growing season). Ammonia was reduced from about 0.52 (1979) to 0.02 (2004) mg NH₄-N L⁻¹. Nitrate remained between 3.72 (1989) and 2.26 (2004) mg NO₃-N L⁻¹ at a relatively high level. Oxygen concentrations were very low during the 1960s and 1970s, sometimes only 4 mg L⁻¹ O₂. During our studies the oxygen increased up to 9 mg L⁻¹ O₂ with a tendency to 11 mg L⁻¹ O₂ in the last years. Chlorophyll a was estimated to be between 59 (1979) and 31μg L⁻¹ (1986) with short peaks up to 170 μg L⁻¹ (1989). Since 1992 the mean values have varied between 30 (1993) and 21 μg L⁻¹ (2004).The floristic phytoplankton composition is characterised by the dominance of the centric diatom Stephanodiscus hantzschii. Other diatoms like Skeletonema subsalsum, Skeletonema potamos and Asterionella formosa were regularly present in smaller quantities. The second dominant group was coccale green algae. During the 1980s they formed up to 35% of the biomass. Since the 1990s their contribution to the phytoplankton became much smaller. This change corresponds with the increase of wastewater treatment and the diminution of nutrients. All the other groups of algae were present in minor quantities. During the time of higher trophy in the 1970s and 1980s the phytoplankton formed two peaks, in recent years only one peak has developed, depending on different flow conditions during the growing season and lower trophic state in the upstream parts of the river.Excellent correspondence exists between cell number, biovolume and chlorophyll a content and the results of delayed fluorescence (DF) measurement. The trophic status in the Lower Rhine may be estimated as (moderate) eutrophic. The ecological status of the phytoplankton is good based on the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).The zooplankton consists mainly of rotatoria and larvs of Dreissena polymorpha. Grazing on phytoplankton seems to be mainly due to the large quantities of benthic Dreissena and the newly introduced mussel Corbicula.